What is Belfast Stories?
We are redeveloping a 5,000m² site at the top of Royal Avenue, incorporating the historic and much-loved former Bank of Ireland building.
We are working with experienced partners both locally and internationally to create a building and surrounding spaces that people want to visit, relax in and talk about.
Belfast Stories is part of the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD).
We aim to open Belfast Stories by 2030.
Belfast Stories is not just a building, it’s an idea.
We have started to map existing stories and record other stories from across the city through writing, audio recording, filming and music.
We are designing new ways for people to record and share stories, creating an archive that will live both inside and outside the building.
You can keep up to date with how we’re getting on through our social media channels.
Visitor attraction
Belfast Stories is a visitor attraction which clearly communicates the spirit of the city – its past, its present and its future.
Do we really need another big tourist attraction?
Yes we do! There were 1.7m overnight trips to Belfast in 2023 but to grow this the city needs to develop the depth and range of its visitor attractions.
Belfast Stories is a unique way to help visitors get their bearings and tell them about the real heart and history of the city.
The interactive exhibitions will be visually and creatively stunning, making Belfast Stories distinctive and memorable for visitors.
Belfast Stories will tell the story of Belfast and its people in a uniquely inspiring way, boosting tourism and growing the city’s international reputation.
This is an opportunity to offer visitors a cultural experience unlike any other, using contemporary storytelling to express the city’s personality in a way that helps people understand and respond to its history and its people.
Public space
Belfast Stories is a public space where people can gather, to share their diverse cultures and ideas.
Proposals include different types of open space in the heart of the city centre for people to relax and enjoy. At various times these spaces will be brought alive by programming that will celebrate film, music, art, dance, food, drink; and well, just being alive.
Don’t we have loads of places for that already?
Well, yes, we have some, but nothing that is centred on the stories of Belfast’s people, as well as the mavericks, misfits, legends, local heroes and moments in time that may otherwise be forgotten.
Also, the Belfast Region City Deal has given us the chance to create something truly unique and of lasting significance in terms of its spirit, architecture and cultural and economic impact.
So why wouldn’t we?
Belfast Stories will bring people together in unique and inspirational ways that reflect the diversity of cultures and communities within the city.
We are working with a range of cultural and community groups to explore how best to programme and produce events that reflect the full diversity of identities and ideas in the city and how they can be explored and celebrated through filmmaking, art, music and other creative industries.
Creative hub
Belfast Stories is a creative hub where writers, musicians, artists and filmmakers can meet and work creating new stories that Belfast can bring to a global audience.
What’s the big deal about the creative industries?
The creative industries contribute over £1.3 billion a year to Northern Ireland’s economy and are a fast-growing part of our cultural and business worlds.
Belfast is gaining a reputation for being a world-class production centre for film, TV, games, art, music and writing.
It is attracting practitioners in these disciplines from all over the world who recognise that Belfast has a hugely creative energy, a distinctive independent attitude and is a fantastic place to live, work and spend time in.
We need to keep investing in that idea.
Belfast Stories will provide access to storytelling and content creation, growing the creative economy.
We will design activities, events, and programmes of learning and provide new opportunities to engage with emerging technology and support our next generation of creatives.
We will also offer facilities for showcasing, networking, and business development.
Belfast Stories public consultation
Engagement is an ongoing, ever-evolving aspect of the Belfast Stories programme.
We want everyone to help shape Belfast Stories and have been connecting with different people and organisations through our consultations to date.
We will keep engaging throughout each stage of the Belfast Stories development process.
Our conversations will continue as the designs develop, and the story-gathering programme begins and continues through to 2030 and beyond.
2022
Belfast Stories first public consultation took place between August and November 2022. We asked stakeholders what they thought about our early plans before any design work started. You can read more about the 2022 Belfast Stories consultation (link opens in a new window) on our consultation platform, YourSay.
2022 consultation documents
- 2022 public consultation information document
- Pre-consultation draft Equality Impact Assessment
- Rural Needs Impact Assessment
2024 - 2025
By 2024, we had appointed our design teams and wanted to hear views on early concept designs.
A second public consultation took place from November 2024 to March 2025.
You can read more about the 2024 - 2025 Belfast Stories consultation (link opens in a new window) on our consultation platform, YourSay.
Consultation documents
- 2024 - 2025 public consultation information document
- Pre-consultation draft Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA)
- Rural Needs Impact Assessment (RNIA)
- Post consultation Draft Equality Impact Assessment (final decision report)
If you would like more information on Belfast Stories or have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.